Women's Water Polo

No. 20 Santa Clara Scores Huge Upset over No. 14 UC San Diego

Apr 09, 2006

April 9, 2006

Davis, Calif. - After suffering a heartbreaking overtime loss to No. 4 Loyola Marymount on the first day of the Davis Shootout, No. 20 Santa Clara came back the following morning to prove that yesterday's contest against one of the top teams in the country was no fluke. Santa Clara used a balanced offense to upset No. 14 UC San Diego this morning in a 12-11 overtime nail biter. This is the first time the Broncos had ever beaten the Tritons and head coach Keith Wilbur called today's victory a huge boost for his program and one of the best wins in school history.

After the UC San Diego victory, Santa Clara came back to defeat Cal State San Bernardino handily 12-3, pushing its season record to 21-7 and will return to action on April 13 with a home match against Sonoma State. Game time is set for 1 p.m.

Lindsey Bacolini, who had such an impressive outing against Cal State Bakersfield and Loyola Marymount yesterday, put forth another excellent all-around effort with two goals, two steals, and one assist, all while drawing three kickouts. In addition, Bacolini scored the game-winning goal with just 16 seconds left in overtime. Leading the squad in goals was Elizabeth Perry with three, while Emily Bonk, Andrea Evans, and Alanna Simpkins chipped in with two goals apiece. Brianna Anderson also found the back of the net once to round out Santa Clara's scoring. Kristin Barnes had another excellent outing in the cage for the Broncos, notching six blocks.

"It was a big win for our program. We have been working really hard to beat a program of that caliber and it shows that all the hard work has paid off," stated Wilbur. "The strong character of our players really showed up today, especially in overtime when we hung in for the win. Hopefully this is something we can build upon for the future."

Following its momentous triumph, Santa Clara used a balanced attack to take down Cal State San Bernardino. Brianna Anderson and Katie Radvanyi were the leading scorers with two goals each, and they received help from several different players. Bryn Asher, Kendra Betke, Allie Lamb, Amy Lamb, Claire Linney, Christie Miller, Bacolini, and Evans all tallied one goal apiece. In the cage, Barnes was once again a force to be reckoned with, notching seven blocks, one assist and one steal as the starting goalie. Randahl Capurro replaced Barnes in the final quarter and saved two attacks.

"Playing the fourth game in a tournament setting is really difficult, but the team came out strong and fought through the fatigue. The game was a great all-around effort, with great defense and excellent offensive execution," commented Wilbur.